Pirates carry the flag for San Diego Section

Oceanside's Thomas Molesi (left) and Rene Siluano converge on Long Beach Poly quarterback Dylan Lagarde for a sack. The Pirates intercepted four passes in holding the Jackrabbits to one TD. (Charlie Neuman / Union-Tribune)

Oceanside's Thomas Molesi (left) and Rene Siluano converge on Long Beach Poly quarterback Dylan Lagarde for a sack. The Pirates intercepted four passes in holding the Jackrabbits to one TD. (Charlie Neuman / Union-Tribune)

Oceanside's Thomas Molesi (left) and Rene Siluano converge on Long Beach Poly quarterback Dylan Lagarde for a sack. The Pirates intercepted four passes in holding the Jackrabbits to one TD. (Charlie Neuman / Union-Tribune)

Steve Brand

Oceanside QB Quentis Clark, who threw two touchdown passes, runs for a big gain in the first half. (Charlie Neuman / Union-Tribune)

Oceanside QB Quentis Clark, who threw two touchdown passes, runs for a big gain in the first half. (Charlie Neuman / Union-Tribune)

Oceanside QB Quentis Clark, who threw two touchdown passes, runs for a big gain in the first half. (Charlie Neuman / Union-Tribune)

OCEANSIDE — Mystique. What mystique?

From almost the minute Oceanside High scheduled tradition-laden Southern Section football power Long Beach Poly a year ago, many longtime San Diego Section supporters wrote off the Pirates.

Didn't matter that CalHiSports rated Oceanside No. 6 in the state overall entering last night's showdown. In many people's minds, a good Southern Section team will beat the best San Diego Section teams almost every time.

What about that Southern Section mystique?

Neither coach was buying into it before or after the Pirates held on to win 14-7 when King Holder, who earlier caught a 9-yard pass from Quentis Clark for Oceanside's second TD, picked off a Dylan Lagarde pass in the end zone with 1:07 to play.

“If there is such a mystique, I don't know anything about it, maybe because I'm in the Southern Section,” said a disappointed Poly coach Raul Lara, in his 19th year with the Jackrabbits, the past nine as head coach. “Southern Section? No. Now, I do believe there is a Long Beach Poly mystique.

“When you go to Florida or Ohio as we have in the last few years, they know about Long Beach Poly football, but not the Southern Section. I think opponents want to prove a point when they play Poly.

“It's an ‘us versus everyone else’ mentality and that brings us together. That's why we like to play on the road.”

Being chosen the National High School athletic program of the past century, having dozens of ex-Jackrabbits graduating to the NFL, scheduling and beating only the best of the best builds a reputation.

Poly's most recent venture against San Diego Section teams resulted in a sweep of Mira Mesa in 2005 and 2006.

But a mystique that starts even before the team left Long Beach at noon yesterday and carries onto the field?

Oceanside coach John Carroll looked at the more practical and obvious differences between the Pirates and Jackrabbits last night.

“I don't think there's a mystique at all, but they're much larger than us (4,754 students to 2,582) and that means they're deeper. They have more players available,” Carroll said. “We can't afford an injury or illness.

“Do I believe the Southern Section looks down on other sections like San Diego? Absolutely. But I coached at Servite (Anaheim) in the Southern Section and there is no mystique about Southern Section teams in my mind.”

Carroll was the defensive coordinator at Servite from 1980-83, and during that time the Friars beat one of those high-powered Long Beach Poly teams convincingly.

“We ran away with it,” Carroll recalled with a smile. “I don't think anyone who has coached in the Southern Section believes there is a mystique.”

Carroll did say when he came to Oceanside 20 years ago he wanted the program to mirror successful ones like Servite (ranked No. 1 in Division II) and Poly.

“Both have something special and so do we,” Carroll said of his Pirates, who are seeking a sixth straight San Diego Section Division II title and possibly a second bowl appearance in three years even though it will be tougher now that Oceanside is in Division I statewide after enrollments were adjusted this year. A win over Poly can't hurt.

“You're talking about alumni and community,” Carroll said. “I think we have that here. We respect what Poly has done, but we weren't in awe. They have a national reputation, but there was no fear of them.”